Taking a long look around, Gobi notices with some alarm the building shadows in the sacrificial pit. His concern at what may happen if he fails, misleads him, and his normally sure healing skills desert him. Pirot's eyelids flutter, but he remains unconscious.
Having advised the group on the best tack to take, Arianwyn then thinks back to his studies...
... and his thoughts serve him well. Pirot's hellish world is well imagined indeed, but certain tiny details are anomalous. When the mage wakens, they can usefully be pointed out to him to prove that the illusion is just that. Illusion.
Kia looks around at the scene and tries to spot any inconsistencies she can use to get Pirot to believe that this is not real.
Vel considers the anomalies Arianwyn points out, and determines what they mean about Pirot's vision of history.
Reason examines the patient closely before attempting to help him.
Kia's knowledge of history confirms Arianwyn's findings and Vel's crystalline mind finds many ways to shred the deception. Reason swiftly brings Pirot round and the company present their findings to him with grim precision.
Rising to his feet, he looks around, still in a state of shock, but prepared at least to believe you.
"Not real? It still seems to be real enough to me." - there is enough doubt in his voice to give you hope, even though you have to fight hard to disagree with him. This man has wrought his own prison extremely effectively.
Arianwyn murmurs, "But consider their dialogue..." with the wearied air of a theatre critic.
"Surely the real initiates of Bael Turath were not so... hackneyed?"
"Good point."
Pirot looks hard at the party. "I don't know any of you, do I? What are you doing at the end of the world?"
His tone is slightly acidic, and he seems to be doing his utmost to concentrate on you all in a desperate attempt to break free of his prison.
Vel considers how best to pierce the illusion, but, to her frustration, can not add to Arianwyn's understanding.
"Convinced yet? Do we feel well enough to get us out of here?"
...
"Please?"
Gobi looks hard at Pirot and gives the man what appears to be a slap to the untrained eye. The mage shakes his head, let's his eyes refocus and gazes slightly bemused at Kia.
"Do we feel well enough? I do. I don't know about the rest of you, some of you look a bit battered to me."
You see that he is a lean man in his mid-fifties, clean shaven and with close-cropped hair. He wears entirely functional adventuring gear rather than the traditional mage's robes. Whatever reasons he may have for becoming a recluse, he exhibits no particularly hermit-like tendencies now.
He looks at the temple with some disgust. "I'm embarrassed by my own writing. Kyleth. It has to be. The signature malevolence is all hers. I'll need help."
As Pirot starts marking the floor, his superficial confidence seems to ooze away. "They'll be back. More and more of them. Who let you through? I hope they're good enough to keep holding their end of gateway."
Whiteclaw licks her wounds. "Typical wizard..." she mutters quietly to herself.
"If you do this . . ."
Pirot nods, and takes Vel's hand. "Trace the symbols on this side. You know what to do."
Reason, Seraphiel and Gobi note that the pit in front of the altar is smoking hard and that some of the gusts of smoke are starting to take humanoid form.
"Is this not required?"
"Yes. Take that far corner please. Use the modern notation. Kyleth may not know it as well."
Kia pays close attention to what is going on, then suddenly a light dawns.
"I remember something about this in a book that Hroaldr showed me when I was asking about the interpretation of runes. It didn't seem to make much sense at the time, but now, it seems to mean something. Now, what would it be?"
Kia's knowledge doesn't let her down. She takes her place in the circle and as the last sigil is written, the rapidly drawn portal starts to glow slightly. Pirot seems highly relieved.
"Nearly there. If someone else can give me a hand, we can do this."
Arianwyn is unfamiliar with the particulars of the ritual.
"If you don't know what you're doing with this, watch the pit. Don't let them re-form."
Whiteclaw prowls restlessly, her eyes never leaving the vile pit. As she moves, she looks to her scaled wrists, drawing strength from her dragon's blessing and remembers something.
"This is urgent enough to call on the best help I know." Channeling her strength into an area she would never normally use, she struggles to aid Pirot and succeeds.
Arcana check made using Dragon blessing score substitute (1d20+7=24)
Pirot looks astonished at the gnoll's intervention and stands back, chanting the final syllables of the ritual. The portal glows and forms, leading you directly back to Weltmann's study. Through it, you can see the strained faces of the Magister and the Gentleman, struggling to hold their end of the working.
Arcana check to determine how long the portal will remain open. (1d20+19=29).
Pirot staggers as the strain hits him. From the pit, the smokey figures become more solid and you all hear, quite clearly, the outraged scream of thwarted malignency as the proto-tieflings reach towards you.
H13
Weltmann looks fleetingly ecstatic as Pirot stumbles through the portal, and then grim as you follow, taking up battle positions.
"Gatecrashers."
Looking particularly alien in the pristine atmosphere of Weltmann's study, two proto-tieflings hurl themselves after you.
Looking grim, Reason launches an unerring bolt of divine light into his vile progenitors. With a nod, he indicates that Arianwyn should take Ioun's blessing to continue the good work.
Lance of Faith v P2 (1d20+8=26, 1d8+5=12)
Looking grimly resigned, Kia steps up to the nearest p-tiefling (move to K7) preparing to let loose with one of her specials next round.
Throwing Shield vs P2 AC (1d20+9=19)
With a grunt, Gobi hurls his shield across the room at the Tiefling
Kia eases herself into position ready to lead her friends into battle, while Gobi mucks up his shield again in the service of good. P2's defenses just aren't good enough to avoid his flying weapon.
With a snarl, Whiteclaw circles and charges, driving her frosty axe deep into the unwelcome arrival.
Charge at P2 (1d20+10=22, 1d10+4=14)
Lance of Faith v P2 (1d20+8=26, 1d8+5=12)
Vel launches her force missiles at the nearest proto-tiefling.
Eldritch Blast vs P2 1d20+9=18, 1d10+4=8
Grimacing in annoyance at still being pestered by Kyleth's creations, Arianwyn fires a beam of white energy at one of them.
Irritation makes Arianwyn's aim a little unsure. The blast screams across the study and falls uselessly at P2's feet.
The quiet vehemence of Seraphiel's words are belied by the astral chains lunging from the floor and lashing into P2.
Struggling to close off the portal, Weltmann and the Gentleman are unable to do anything to help, but Pirot sends a magic missile flying into P2, adding to the damage.
Magic Missile (ref) v P2 (1d20+14=19, 2d4+7=12)
Reason, still surprised at how slowly everyone else is reacting, aims a blast at the wounded enemy.
Reason finds his form and sends a powerful shaft of divine light straight into P2. As before, Arianwyn reaps the benefit.
Kia aims a beautifully timed stroke at the p-tief next to her. Unfortunately, it may have been beautifully executed, but the effect was disappointing.
Warlord's favour vs. AC (at P2) (1d20+9=23, 2d8+3=6)
Kia snarls. "I really would like to have a weapon that was a trifle more effective. This rusty old thing is beginning to annoy me!"
"Survive to the end of this battle, Miss Rubarka and I can assist you all in empowering your weapons," says Weltmann as he fights to close the portal.
Gobi moves forward and strikes his foe, using the odds against him to ignite his attack.
Valiant Strike Vs AC(1d20+10=23)
Gobi's blow nearly finishes the proto-tiefling in front of him. Whiteclaw's blow follows swiftly enough, but misses, even though it is plain to see that the creature hangs to life by a thread.
Basic melee v P2 (1d20+9=17, 1d10+4=6)
Vel's orb flashes and a spot of incandescence flies between the proto-tieflings and explodes, killing P2 and setting licking flames on the floor around that harm nothing.
Vel's burst obliterates P2 where he stands, but just misses P1. With the abrupt demise of his comrade, however, P1's own defenses seem a little weaker. He looks viciously around, prepared to take a heavy toll in his turn.
Basic melee v P2 (1d20+9=17, 1d10+4=6)
Arianwyn dodges, dips, ducks, dives and dodges.